Rowan

Chapter Eleven

This one is dedicated to MY BEST FRIEND, Shaterria ;), whose birthday just passed. I love her more than anything and it's dedicated to her for allowing my use her name. Enjoy the chapter!

There stood Shaterria, the female whom I had briefly seen in the stables. She wore a formal dress, and I wondered whether she was dining with us. I was answered when she spoke.

"Good afternoon, Sir Coventry, Rowan. I thought the chef would have arrived by now. Come in," She said, bowing slightly before opening the door further.

It was obvious that there had been an attempt to clean up. Some of the destroyed furnishings were gone, but not all of them. There was even a wooden table placed near one of the large windows with four chairs surrounding it.

The King was close to the table, staring at the floor in thought. As if sensing someone watching, his eyes flickered in my direction, no longer unfocused. I knew I was supposed to look away, but my eyes wouldn't flee from their destination.

"Rowan, let us sit down," Sage said, his voice soft but firm. He lightly touched my hand with his and began guiding me in the direction of the table. It was then that my eyes finally fled, their attention turning towards Sage.

I could see the warning in his gaze, as if I had already done something wrong. I pulled my hand from his, muttering, "I do not need you to hold my hand. I have the ability to walk without causing a disaster."

"I am beginning to doubt that," Sage murmured back and I huffed in response, not bothering with a reply.

When we walked to the table, Sage was quick to pull out a chair for Shaterria, who replied with a thank you before sitting down. I grimaced, grateful he hadn't done so for me.

I began to pull back my chair but froze when a hand was lightly placed over mine, halting it. I didn't have to look up to know it was the King, who had moved closer without my noticing.

"Allow me," he said softly, his voice tame in comparison to when we had first met.

Instinct told me to snap that not all females were expecting a man to pull out her chair and in fact, some preferred doing so themselves. However, a single glare from Sage stopped me.

I moved to the side slightly, watching as he pulled out the chair. I glanced up and saw him staring at me, a thick eyebrow raised expectantly. He wanted me to sit down and give him my back.

I stood for a moment, reconsidering the thought of snapping at him, but it would do no good and probably keep me here much longer than I was already going to stay.

So instead, I pushed back my instinct and slowly sat in the chair, my posture stiff. I bit my lip when I felt him pushing my chair in before he finally left.

There was something about him that scared me, yet I couldn't place my finger on. It wasn't because of his animalistic side; that was the side I felt comfortable around. It was his human side that I didn't trust. That was the side that was unstable and more unpredictable than anything.

I watched as he sat in front of me, Shaterria by his side. She was looking down as if afraid to meet his eyes. However, the closer I looked, the more I began to think it was because of his behavior. Her shoulders were relaxed and her posture wasn't stiff in comparison to my own: she felt comfortable around him.

Sage had taken the seat by mine and appeared as comfortable as Shaterria looked. It caused me to wonder just how often they were around King Sandalius and how often they had witnessed his rage. One couldn't be comfortable around a man like him unless they knew how far his temper extended.

"How are you enjoying your time here, Rowan?" Shaterria asked, breaking the silence that had began to build and twist itself into another form. She was attempting small talk, something I had never found interest in.